Is everything more expensive here?

BlackEdelweiss

Has anybody found anything to be cheaper in New Zealand than for a similar item at home?
Granola bars are the only thing I have found!

Matt Simis

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

Has anybody found anything to be cheaper in New Zealand than for a similar item at home?
Granola bars are the only thing I have found!

Online, aggregate comparison sites are obviously not a science, but this one suggests Restrauants are cheaper there than Ireland, Ill let you tell me:

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=Ireland&country2=New+Zealand

Nz vs Ireland wrote:

Consumer Prices in New Zealand are 7.43% higher than in Ireland
Consumer Prices Including Rent in New Zealand are 9.93% higher than in Ireland
Rent Prices in New Zealand are 17.35% higher than in Ireland
Restaurant Prices in New Zealand are 3.79% lower than in Ireland
Groceries Prices in New Zealand are 11.79% higher than in Ireland
Local Purchasing Power in New Zealand is 6.18% lower than in Ireland

This is how it ranks Oz:
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=Ireland&country2=Australia

Oz vs Ireland wrote:

Consumer Prices in Australia are 26.71% higher than in Ireland
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Australia are 42.38% higher than in Ireland
Rent Prices in Australia are 88.94% higher than in Ireland
Restaurant Prices in Australia are 18.70% higher than in Ireland
Groceries Prices in Australia are 28.94% higher than in Ireland
Local Purchasing Power in Australia is 12.06% higher than in Ireland

Numbeo seems to use submitted values to correct, per city so it might be more accurate than the more theoretical ones.

Mrs OBumble

Goiing to the doctor was cheaper in NZ six years ago .. don't know if it's still the case. But I was paying maybe $NZ60 per visit there, vs €50 per visit in Ireland.

Cookie_Monster

Fuel
Car insurance
Seasonal veg
Chips (take away)
Car tax & servicing
Tax in general
Healthcare - doctor, dentist, other practitioners
Hospitals and drugs
Spirits but not wine or beer

That's what springs to mind straight away, I'm sure there's plenty more odd bits and pieces

FearDark

Fish and chips.

Everything else is more expensive to buy. Services like doctor and dentist seem cheaper. Things you buy certainly aren't. The amount if kiwis who think stuff is cheap here is unbelieveble though!! I'm constantly told how cheap cars are here. Eh no, they're about 3 to 4 times the price they are at home.

Countdown last night, 12 dollars for two litres of Ribena.

Matt Simis

FearDark wrote: »

I'm constantly told how cheap cars are here. Eh no, they're about 3 to 4 times the price they are at home.

There is no easy comparison as when cars are new/newer they are considerably cheaper there, but what you dont get is the titanic drop off in value (and therefore lack of servicing etc) that you get in Ireland.

Eg:
2011 BMW 640i Vert in Nz
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-557573584.htm
$95k

2011 BMW 640i Vert in Ireland:
http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/6-Series/640i-SE-/30613492550738510/advert?channel=CARS
$123k


Fast forward 6years and the Irish car will be sold for under half the value of the Nz car due to Tax, Fuel, Service costs etc. If you can afford to get on the "car ladder" earlier in Nz, then logically this is a better proposition isnt it?

PS: I dont have 100k for cars either.

Cookie_Monster

I think cars are cheap here, certainly better value anyway as you can get proper engines and spec instead of Paddy versions and running costs are much lower.

BlackEdelweiss

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Fuel
Car insurance
Seasonal veg
Chips (take away)
Car tax & servicing
Tax in general
Healthcare - doctor, dentist, other practitioners
Hospitals and drugs
Spirits but not wine or beer

That's what springs to mind straight away, I'm sure there's plenty more odd bits and pieces

Fuel: not by much
Car insurance: yes
Running costs of cars: I don't know, you have to get a warrant every 6 months and if prices for other things are anything to go by I wouldn't think that mechanics would be cheap.
I haven't seen any veg here that are cheap comparing to what you would pay in aldi, seasonal or not. They probably just seem cheaper in season because they are so bloody expensive when out of season.
I had nice fish and chips tonight, $12 and that fed 6 of us. Point to New Zealand.
Healthcare: I got free insulin and diabetic gear in ireland, have to pay $15 a prescription here, not complaining about that. They let me in their country, I don't mind paying a bit for my medical needs but its free at home.

We were in a shop in Cambridge on Sunday and I saw a vest for $90, it would cost no more than €5 in penny's. we were in the warehouse last week and saw a quilt for $690, we were laughing about it because we didn't know if it was a mistake or not. Only for it was the warehouse we thought it would not be that dear, I saw quilts for close to that price in farmers.

Rent: WTF!!!

I like the country but the prices are really starting to bring me down. I am on good money here but my wife is not working yet as she can't find a job and we are on the breadline. We were both on the dole back home but we lived more comfortably than we do here.

Why is nz wine more expensive than any other nationality wine?

New Zealand lamb, yeah right! maybe someday when I get a raise and the wife gets a job we might be able to go mad and buy some.

I hope I get used to this because if I don't I'm counting the days till I can afford the extortionist prices they charge for a plane ticket out of this fcuking place!

Calgary22

Hey black where about's you in new zealand?:D what would you think a single lad in his 20's would need to survive an hour?:D

Mrs OBumble

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

We were in a shop in Cambridge on Sunday and I saw a vest for $90, it would cost no more than €5 in penny's. we were in the warehouse last week and saw a quilt for $690, we were laughing about it because we didn't know if it was a mistake or not

Was the quality the same though? I've bought a lot of stuff from Penny's that lasts 3-6 months then falls apart.

I went looking for a better quality pillow the other week. Cheap rubblish was cheap ... decent ones started at E80!

Cookie_Monster

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Was the quality the same though? I've bought a lot of stuff from Penny's that lasts 3-6 months then falls apart.
I went looking for a better quality pillow the other week. Cheap rubblish was cheap ... decent ones started at E80!

Ikea or Tesco do really cheap decent stuff. I bougth a Tesco Value duvet, lasted me 3+ years until I moved over here. Cost less than 20. Ikea pillows are about 15-25 for the decent ones. Linen over here is loony prices, even with Briscoe's constant 60% off you'd be cheaper importing it.

BlackEdelweiss wrote:

Fuel: not by much1.60 in Ire, 1.34 eur equiv in NZ, 16% cheaper
Car insurance: yes by a ****ing country mile. I could buy another car with the price difference
Running costs of cars: I don't know, you have to get a warrant every 6 months and if prices for other things are anything to go by I wouldn't think that mechanics would be cheap.rego is less than tax for most cars, insurance is less, fuel is less, IMO servicing is cheaper especially the likes of oil and fluids, less tolls, warrants are only 32eur every 6 months vs 55 a year - with talk of 6 monthly happening
I haven't seen any veg here that are cheap comparing to what you would pay in aldi, seasonal or not. They probably just seem cheaper in season because they are so bloody expensive when out of season. 3 corn cobs for a dollar, pumpkins for $3 are a couple of notable ones - though in general veg is more expensive and lower quality
Healthcare: I got free insulin and diabetic gear in ireland, have to pay $15 a prescription here, not complaining about that. They let me in their country, I don't mind paying a bit for my medical needs but its free at home.I've had three of my friends in A&E while here, all covered, prescription from Doctor or Hospital are generally covered under the drugs scheme and cost 3-5 dollars. I actually had to buy something that wasn't covered and the pharmacist apologised that it cost $6, it would have cost 20eur+ at home without question. Though my fiancee bitches about the cost of the pill so I suppose it balances out depending on what you need

Rent: WTF!!!

The lack of quality of houses really makes this one hurt, expensive and ****. Though being outside the likes of Auckland and Wellington really helps.

Why is nz wine more expensive than any other nationality wine?

generally because it's exported so they don't care. You can buy NZ wine in Ireland for less than you can here.

New Zealand lamb, yeah right! maybe someday when I get a raise and the wife gets a job we might be able to go mad and buy some.

Again because it's all exported. I'm yet to have any lamb here that's been as good as it's made out to be. Expensive and crap because all the good stuff is exported.

Milk is also REALLY expensive here. Don't understand why given the vast vast quantities they produce but $3.40 v 1.65eur

BlackEdelweiss

The fruit and veg is really bad quality, I struggle to find a decent bag of apples for the kids lunches. Mushrooms go soft after about 2 days. I do like the fresh corn though and it is good value.
I hear the ESB is meant to be very expensive and is going to shoot up when I plug in all the bloody heaters I am going to have to buy to heat the kids bedrooms for the winter.
Whats the story with the milk, I dident think you could export it but I hear they do and we pay more here because of it.
The rent is the killer, we pay $400 a week, I was trying to rent my 3 bed semi in Ireland for 350 euros a month. And where is the euro symbol on keyboards down here, i'm fed up typing euros to people back home!
Internet is another one, $100 a month, it is an unlimited plan but still twice what I was paying back home for 160gb with digiweb.
My son was told he needs an eye test for glasses but that is not covered and we cant afford to get it done. He also has flat feet and got special insoles made for him in Ireland. He wont get that here and I can only imaging what it would cost to get them made.
We bought all our bedding in Penneys for years and the quality never bothered me, I think we bought our quilt in TK Max for about 60 quid. The price of them here is crazy. I just cant understand how kiwis on low income can survive here.
What annoys me is that there is no middle ground, things are either sh1t and cheap or good and really expensive. Where is the half decent, cheap enough stuff???

Cookie_Monster

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

Internet is another one, $100 a month, it is an unlimited plan but still twice what I was paying back home for 160gb with digiweb.

you're getting ripped off there. We get Sky, sports and Broadband for $142 as a package.

pclancy

Well due to the small population and economies of scale the cost of shipping some goods here is high compared to the EU. Remember its a tiny little country in the global scale of things tucked away down the bottom corner of the planet...but that only really applies to some consumer electronics and larger goods etc and doesnt explain why clothes and cheap crap from China is not actually cheap.

Cookie Monsters list was pretty exact I think.

Milk/Cheese and Meat are kept at high prices by Fonterra and their National buddies.

House Prices influence Rent, they are both very high right now as we're nearing the peak of a bubble. Expect dips in the next 5 years hopefully.

BlackEdelweiss

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

you're getting ripped off there. We get Sky, sports and Broadband for $142 as a package.

I checked lots of different offers and that was the best I could see.

BlackEdelweiss

Calgary22 wrote: »

Hey black where about's you in new zealand?:D what would you think a single lad in his 20's would need to survive an hour?:D

I havent a clue man, I am married man nearing 40 with 4 kids in school and childminders. What you need to survive would be way less than me.

Cookie_Monster

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

I checked lots of different offers and that was the best I could see.

We've got Vodafone fixed l BB ($65) with Sky + Mysky ($5 offer) + Sports
And 2 mobiles with Vodafone also - mobile bill is separate but I think I get a discount on the BB due to it.

20260622

I find most things in New Zealand incredibly expensive. Clothes, cosmetics, toiletries/personal care items to name but a few.

A couple of examples that I still can't get over is dry shampoo and tanning mitts, both can be bought in Penneys for €2-€3, you would get little change from $20 for each of them over here :eek: :eek: I stocked up on both while I was home for Christmas Ebay is a god send for cosmetics, always cheaper, including postage!

And just this morning, I went into Countdown/Foodtown (whatever it's called now) for an avocado, the were selling FOUR avocados for $7!! $7!!! WTF! :eek:
Needless to say I went to my local veg shop after work and got SIX for $3, they were in better nick than the ones in the supermarket too

I don't drive myself but the other half does and in general, all things car related (cost of the car itself, rego, insurance, wof, petrol) are cheaper than at home. That's about the only thing I can think of that's cheaper than at home.

But I think we also need to factor in the fact that alot of stuff back home has come down in price (except taxes of course!!) since the recession.

Matt Simis

I cant yet comment on NZD prices, but can on the Irish prices:

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

The rent is the killer, we pay $400 a week, I was trying to rent my 3 bed semi in Ireland for 350 euros a month.

That would be exceptionally (and unrealistic for benchmarking) cheap rent in Ireland. 3bed around Dublin is around EUR900 to EUR1200 per month.

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

And where is the euro symbol on keyboards down here, i'm fed up typing euros to people back home!

Either type "EUR" or:
http://fsymbols.com/signs/euro/

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

Internet is another one, $100 a month, it is an unlimited plan but still twice what I was paying back home for 160gb with digiweb.

I pay EUR80 per bill Eircom, every 2mths for 8Mb DSL, Unlimited, so not really miles apart. Its the only option in my area.

BlackEdelweiss

I dont live in Dublin so any prices I mention are not relating to there. There are lots of other places in Ireland with loads of people living in them.
Typing EUR is more bother than typing euros!
80 euros for 2 months is the equivalent of $125, I pay $100 a month so almost double what you pay.

20260622

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

And where is the euro symbol on keyboards down here, i'm fed up typing euros to people back home!

Pressing ALT and 0128 works for me

BlackEdelweiss

20260622 wrote: »

Pressing ALT and 0128 works for me

Not for me, I'm not sure how to press them, in a row or all together?

20260622

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

Not for me, I'm not sure how to press them, in a row or all together?

Hold down ALT and then press 0128

Cookie_Monster

€
whatdayaknow, it worked

BlackEdelweiss

Nothing!

20260622

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

Nothing!

:mad: Hmmm....try holding down ALT GR & press 4 or 5??

20260622

Or Ctrl + Alt + E ??

Cookie_Monster

20260622 wrote: »

:mad: Hmmm....try holding down ALT GR & press 4 or 5??

I don't have one of them on my kiwi keyboard, two alt and two windows buttons though.

20260622 wrote: »

Or Ctrl + Alt + E ??

nope

they've a lot of slight difference in the keyboards here, it could be mapped totally different under the UK New Zealand mappings for language but it is under alt 0128 on the character map

20260622

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I don't have one of them on my kiwi keyboard, two alt and two windows buttons though.

Wierd The right Alt on my keyboard is Alt Gr.

Ctrl + Alt + E only works for me in Word

Will keep using Alt+0128 as it works for me

Mrs OBumble

20260622 wrote: »

And just this morning, I went into Countdown/Foodtown (whatever it's called now) for an avocado, the were selling FOUR avocados for $7!! $7!!! WTF! :eek:
Needless to say I went to my local veg shop after work and got SIX for $3, they were in better nick than the ones in the supermarket too

If you haven't worked out the difference between Foodtown and Countdown, then I'm not surprised that you're finding things expensive. It's like sayin "SuperValu/Lidl (whatever it's called now)".

But if your local shop was that cheap, you musht hve been lookng at organic ones in the supermarket.

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

The rent is the killer, we pay $400 a week, I was trying to rent my 3 bed semi in Ireland for 350 euros a month.

You cannot compare renting in Bally-small-town-far-away with renting in a city in NZ. (Yes, I'm making assumptions - but a 2br apartment in Galway city costs E800pcm ... so a 3brm for half that must be in the arse-end of nowhere.)

pclancy

Ah well some things are dearer down here then back in good old Ireland. Every country has its ups and downs. Personally I really don't care, paying a little extra for stuff is worth it to have the quality of life, gorgeous scenery and lifestyle that is possible here that I could never have in Ireland.

But sadly I know how hard it can be for people on low to mid incomes to get ahead and feed a family/mortgage but the same situation is replicated across the world, its not just a kiwi problem. Many Kiwis have to emigrate to Oz/UK to find better paid work and their place is filled by us migrants able to earn a bit more but aghast at the cost of living. Vicious circle really.

I do wish Guinness was a bit cheaper.

20260622

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If you haven't worked out the difference between Foodtown and Countdown, then I'm not surprised that you're finding things expensive. It's like sayin "SuperValu/Lidl (whatever it's called now)".

But if your local shop was that cheap, you musht hve been lookng at organic ones in the supermarket.

It used to be called Foodtown, it's recently been rebranded as Countdown, I got a bit confused when writing the post

Would you believe the organic ones were actually cheaper at $6, but I refuse to pay more than $3-$4 for them as I know I can get them in my local fruit & veg shop for that cheap, it just wasn't open that early on my way to work

Matt Simis

20260622 wrote: »

It used to be called Foodtown, it's recently been rebranded as Countdown, I got a bit confused when writing the post

Would you believe the organic ones were actually cheaper at $6, but I refuse to pay more than $3-$4 for them as I know I can get them in my local fruit & veg shop for that cheap, it just wasn't open that early on my way to work

Isnt it a little weird to be using an exotic and unnecessary fruit as an example of cost of living? I wouldnt have a clue on how expensive they are here so $6 might as well be 60. And as a by the way, the fruit and veg shop closed down in my town here, along with the Hotel, half the pubs and shops.. So while they may have sold cheaper groceries, they arent selling anything at all now.

I gather the essentials are more expensive too; what of milk, bread, eggs, bacon, steak, potatoes etc?

20260622

Matt Simis wrote: »

Isnt it a little weird to be using an exotic and unnecessary fruit as an example of cost of living? I wouldnt have a clue on how expensive they are here so $6 might as well be 60. And as a by the way, the fruit and veg shop closed down in my town here, along with the Hotel, half the pubs and shops.. So while they may have sold cheaper groceries, they arent selling anything at all now.

I gather the essentials are more expensive too; what of milk, bread, eggs, bacon, steak, potatoes etc?

As in your first post:
Groceries Prices in New Zealand are 11.79% higher than in Ireland

Groceries in general are pretty expensive. I was just using the avocado as an example as that's what I happened to be buying the other morning and was absolutely flabbergasted by the price. They and pretty much all fruit and veg are hugely expensive/overpriced in the supermarkets here.

sethasaurus

One thing I miss about NZ is the food - much better than Ireland's! One thing I don't miss are the price tags!

My mother lives in the middle of dairy country, yet she would pay about $6-7 dollars for a pound of butter. The dairy company posted a profit of something like $148m one quarter last year, yet so may NZers have trouble putting food on the table. Meat is also insanely expensive, yet take a look at a huge country with massive screeds of land, sheep and cattle and it doesn't make sense.

If you're not getting good produce, then you're shopping in the wrong place. Try a greengrocer instead of the supermarket.
Also, if you drive the right roads you can get some great produce if its in-season.

I was going to send my sister a dozen roses for her birthday but decided against it when I found the Interflora charge came to just over $100! That was a real shock as I'd just bought a very nice dozen red roses for my wife the day before (Tesco) for 6 euro!
I'm not THAT cheap but $100 for a few flowers? .. Something is wrong.

I'm just constantly surprised that the average NZer doesn't realise how much he/she is being ripped-off.
We have a reputation for being hard workers.. now you know why! (survival).

As for this:
"Groceries Prices in New Zealand are 11.79% higher than in Ireland"
I'd say that figure is a little low. I might pay 40euro for 2 bags of groceries from Tesco. When I got the same amount back in NZ in 2009 they slammed me for $95.

BlackEdelweiss

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You cannot compare renting in Bally-small-town-far-away with renting in a city in NZ. (Yes, I'm making assumptions - but a 2br apartment in Galway city costs E800pcm ... so a 3brm for half that must be in the arse-end of nowhere.)

I come from a fairly large town as towns go in ireland and I moved Bally go sh1thole in the arse end of nowhere New Zealand and I am paying $400 A week, my mortgage at home was €800 a month. If you read all the posts I said the €350 was a low price to try to rent our house quickly,€500 would have been an average price.
I don't understand that in a country the size of ireland with only 4 or 5 major population centres that people still call anything outside them the arse end of nowhere. Do any of you people who know how much it costs to rent a house in dublin, cork or Galway actually know how much it costs to rent a house anywhere else in the country?

Calgary22

why did any of ye decide to go to new zealand then? it seems it has low wages and more expensive then Ireland why would anyone wanna live there:o

Cookie_Monster

Calgary22 wrote: »

why did any of ye decide to go to new zealand then? it seems it has low wages and more expensive then Ireland why would anyone wanna live there:o

Lifestyle & weather

Matt Simis

20260622 wrote: »

As in your first post:
Groceries Prices in New Zealand are 11.79% higher than in Ireland

Groceries in general are pretty expensive. I was just using the avocado as an example as that's what I happened to be buying the other morning and was absolutely flabbergasted by the price. They and pretty much all fruit and veg are hugely expensive/overpriced in the supermarkets here.

I get that, just your choice of example wasnt all that relatable..

BlackEdelweiss

Calgary22 wrote: »

why did any of ye decide to go to new zealand then? it seems it has low wages and more expensive then Ireland why would anyone wanna live there:o

I sent 120 cvs around ireland and the uk and could not get a job. I eventually was offered a job in New Zealand. I had no other option than to move my family down here. The wages are much higher, I don't think anybody said anything about low wages here.
Just because you are living somewhere doesn't mean you like paying too much for the privilidge.
I think it is the fact that the basics which are largely produced in nz are so expensive that is so annoying.
It's a grand country, nothing special. I still wouldn't go back to ireland though.

balkieb2002

Calgary22 wrote: »

why did any of ye decide to go to new zealand then? it seems it has low wages and more expensive then Ireland why would anyone wanna live there:o

As someone mentioned above the lifestyle and the weather, with the relaxed lifestyle my choice. I went there a few years ago on a WHV and ended up staying there for nearly 3 years before coming back home to Ireland.

After a couple of months of being home I got a good job which I'm still in today but missed the NZ lifestyle too much so leaving my job and heading back again later this year. The cost of life, lower salary etc there is a fair trade off for me living where I want to.

pclancy

Calgary22 wrote: »

why did any of ye decide to go to new zealand then? it seems it has low wages and more expensive then Ireland why would anyone wanna live there:o

Well money isnt everything to some people, the lifestlye, sports, the great outdoors, meeting new cultures and having experiences we never would at home totally make up for financial rewards.

Plus low wages only apply to certain occupations, you can earn really good money here in some industries and hence live really well so hence you don't hear anyone complaining about the cost of living that is on good money. If you're smart and able to work hard you can get ahead buy buying or starting a business quite easy.

Living in a country that isnt under the oppressive fist of Austerity right now is quite nice.

Promac

Calgary22 wrote: »

why did any of ye decide to go to new zealand then? it seems it has low wages and more expensive then Ireland why would anyone wanna live there:o

It's rained maybe a dozen days since October and in June, the middle of winter, we'll still be enjoying sun and walking around in shorts.

There's also no real hardman underclass here - not really. You can walk down the street without worrying about being safe or getting mugged. It's pretty much a pleasant experience at all times.

I get annoyed sometimes that it's 10 dollars for a chicken breast and god help you if you smoke (20 dollars now!?).

And this is so not Dublin it's not even funny!

Crumble Froo

Oh god. Just about never ever ever ever buy groceries in the supermarkets here.
But I've found there to be easily enough growers' shops around which are often just a fraction of the price, and regularly far more delicious (e.g. apples in cuntdown $3.79, apples at grower's $1.60).

I've been here about 6 years, so it's difficult to begin to compare to Ireland, but I know I definitely missed shops like Lidl, Aldi and Tesco. It was like Pak'n'Save was cheap, like, Dunnes Stores cheap, but was missing the might of those big German and English chains that could majorly cut in.

Still get socks and undies sent from Penny's... just can't bring myself to pay even Warehouse prices for those.

Milk is so expensive because it's almost all sent to Asia. I've worked in that sector and holy ****, the volumes are just something else. Can't remember the figures off my head, but remember not being surprised at the huge percentage that was sent overseas, mostly as milk powder. Apparently Lidl back home is a good place to get NZ lamb.... I'm a vego, so can't really comment.

sethasaurus

Promac wrote: »

And this is so not Dublin it's not even funny!

The barbecues are better too.

NZ BBQ:


Dublin BBQ:


Oh yeah, and keeping it on-topic, the Dublin version is cheaper.. so much cheaper..

sethasaurus

Crumble Froo wrote: »

Milk is so expensive because it's almost all sent to Asia. I've worked in that sector and holy ****, the volumes are just something else. Can't remember the figures off my head, but remember not being surprised at the huge percentage that was sent overseas, mostly as milk powder. Apparently Lidl back home is a good place to get NZ lamb.... I'm a vego, so can't really comment.

That melamine debacle was a big thing for the Chinese. Now they buy our cows, dairy food and even farms to increase production. Quite lucrative for NZ, but the average man on the street doesn't really benefit.
With the sale of more state assets, I can only hope I can make enough dough to buy my own piece before they sell every last little bit.

Palmy

I'm a New Zealander who spent 13 years living in Dublin (trust me I didn't intend to stay that long) from 1998.All my family live back in New Zealand, but I was lucky enough to move to the United States a few years back.
I always get comments from Americans asking why the hell am I living here and not in NZD. To be honest I don't think I could really could afford to move my family back.
From what I hear from my family when they come and visit is the high cost of living in NZ.
For what my father drives in NZD it's around $68,000nzd to buy, when you can get the same spec one here for $26,000usd.
Gas is around $3.60 a gal (3.8ltrs),I go to Publix (like countdown) and buy 12 cans of beer for under $10,Milk is around $2 a gal,I brought Kelvin clein jeans at Macy's for $45 and shoes are like $60 for Nikes.
My rent cost me around $1270 usd a month and that's for a 2bed 2bath apartment in a gated community with tennis court,gym,pool and spa.
Don't get me wrong I love New Zealand and a proud Kiwi,But I don't think I will ever move back.

pclancy

sethasaurus wrote: »

With the sale of more state assets, I can only hope I can make enough dough to buy my own piece before they sell every last little bit.

Vote Green or Labour next election and you won't have to "buy" anything that you already own as a New Zealander.

Electricity costs here are already nearly the highest in the OECD, prices are being held high by these power companies and need to be brought back down to reality. Business pay a fraction of what the average home owner does and this is totally unfair.

Those assets need to be kept for the people and run by a not-for-profit body who can negotiate savings. National are in power to help business, nobody else.

Matt Simis

Palmy wrote: »

For what my father drives in NZD it's around $68,000nzd to buy, when you can get the same spec one here for $26,000usd.
Gas is around $3.60 a gal (3.8ltrs),I go to Publix (like countdown) and buy 12 cans of beer for under $10,Milk is around $2 a gal,I brought Kelvin clein jeans at Macy's for $45 and shoes are like $60 for Nikes.
My rent cost me around $1270 usd a month and that's for a 2bed 2bath apartment in a gated community with tennis court,gym,pool and spa.
Don't get me wrong I love New Zealand and a proud Kiwi,But I don't think I will ever move back.

Well lets be realistic, this thread is comparing Ireland to NZ.. Ireland is not a low cost to live in country making our comparisons less of a "shock" then many immigrants. When I read the UK Expat forums I see them complaining (a lot) about how cheap cars and free the NHS was in the UK, but thankfully that isnt a factor in an IE to NZ comparison.

However comparing the US to NZ in cost of living is pointless, nothing (First World only) compares to the US in its cheapness:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10881413

New Zealand is one of the most expensive developed countries to live in, second only to Australia.

However, there are many idiosyncrasies in our pricing. Pizza Hut pizzas are the cheapest in the world and our CBD office spaces are comparatively inexpensive, but New Zealand's sport shoes, cars and Apple products are among the costliest.

A 3km taxi fare in Wellington is the most expensive in 30 international cities surveyed in a report by Deutsche Bank.

The report, The Random Walk: Mapping the world's prices, has found Australia, New Zealand and Japan are some of the most expensive developed countries. The US was generally the cheapest.

If you want to earn big and live cheap in the First World, US is it.

Mr Eaqub said that meant that to buy the same amount of goods, for example a shopping basket, on a level global scale it would cost USD$135.30 in New Zealand, USD$100 in the US and USD$38.30 in India.

sethasaurus

Matt Simis wrote: »

Well lets be realistic, this thread is comparing Ireland to NZ.. Ireland is not a low cost to live in country making our comparisons less of a "shock" then many immigrants. When I read the UK Expat forums I see them complaining (a lot) about how cheap cars and free the NHS was in the UK, but thankfully that isnt a factor in an IE to NZ comparison.

However comparing the US to NZ in cost of living is pointless, nothing (First World only) compares to the US in its cheapness:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10881413


If you want to earn big and live cheap in the First World, US is it.

We can see the US has it's advantages, although cost of living varies hugely, as does the geography, the people and the politics (e.g. who is going to bother bombing NZ?).

It's not pointless comparing NZ to US. Ask the average NZer who hasn't really travelled and they will say "Oh yep, it's not too bad, really". But seriously, for example, you go and live in Auckland for a year and you'll change your tune (that is, IF you can afford a roof over your head for a start). NZers just don't realise they are being taken advantage of.

I lived in NZ, Canada and now Ireland, and I can tell you, Canada can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be.
NZ is great if you're a capatilist, otherwise, be prepared for a modest life (or become a stoner).
Ireland just doesn't know how lucky they have it. Let's get real - there wasn't a recession here, just return to normality after a mental period.
Besides, your economy isn't going to fail - just take a look at the tourists that swarm the streets of Dublin, for one thing.

I find a lot of stuff here very cheap, especially food (Customer service is terrible though!).
Of course, if you live in Dublin you have to be aware and watch every 50 euro or they evaporate!

EDIT: NZ customer service is poor too (everyone is so laid-back it makes them a bit dopey/lazy or something!). North America wins on that one!

Matt Simis

Hmm, no recession here? Over half the shops, restaurants and hotels in my town are closed down now. The roads are ruined. An absurd amount of my wages are used to prop up "social charges" and other taxes to try pay for our catastrophically failed economy, a good chunk of my family have already emigrated, both partner and I were made redundant (though after a year got another job), the property I let out is frequently vacant as my tenants (various ones for the past 5 years) keep getting laid off or salaries cut without warning. To say there was no recession here "but a return to normality" either:

- is total horse$hit from someone with little grasp with the issues facing the majority in Ireland and/or understanding of what a recession actually is.
- or the "normality" you speak of is a extremely expensive to live in country with limited opportunities and extremely poor social support and infrastructure/services. Near Second world lifestyle with First world costs.. who wants to live in a place like that?

"NZ is great if you're a capatilist, otherwise, be prepared for a modest life (or become a stoner)." - good cos if I wanted Socialism that worked(ish) I would move to a Nordic country or France and work a 30hr week.


PS: The reason I said the comparison to the US was pointless is because they are the established benchmark for this particular comparison, there is no doubt or competition between the US and NZ, its an uninspired matchup.